282 FEASTS, ENTERTAINMENTS. 



" Hjorvard said that he would rather make a change in the 

 Viking laws in order to drink in pairs with her. Then she 

 sat down, and they spoke of many things in the evening " 

 (Ynglinga Saga, c. 41). 



Next day King Hjorvard demanded her in marriage from 

 Granniar, and was successful in his suit (Ynglinga Saga, c. 41). 



In the earliest times that the manners at table of such 

 heavy drinkers should have been rather coarse is not 

 surprising. 



" The champion Bodvar went into the hall of Hrolf Kraki, 

 and sat down near, the door. When he had been there for a 

 short time he heard a noise from the corner next to it, and 

 saw that a man's hand, very black, extended from a large heap 

 of bones which lay there. He walked up to it and asked who 

 was in the heap of bones.; he was answered, timidly : 'I am 

 called Hott, good Bokki.' 1 Bodvar said : ' Why art thou 

 here ? and what art thou doing ? ' Hott answered : ' I make 

 me a shield-burgh, my good Bokki.' Bodvar took hold of 

 him and pulled him out of the heap of bones. Hott shouted 

 loudly : ' Now thou wantest me to be killed ; I had prepared 

 myself so well for defence before, and now thou hast torn my 

 shield-burgh asunder. ..." Bodvar took him and carried 

 him out of the hall to a lake in the neighbourhood ; and 

 few saw it, and he washed him all over his body. Bodvar 

 then went to the seat he had been sitting in before, and led 

 Hott with him, and seated him at his side. Hott was so 

 frightened that all his limbs trembled, but he thought never- 

 theless that this man was going to help him. Evening ap- 

 proached and the men came into the hall, and the champions 

 of Hrolf saw that Hott was seated on the bench, and they 

 thought the man who had done that had been rather shame- 

 less. Hott had a dismal look when he saw his acquaintances 

 the hirdmen, for he had only met with unkindnesg from them ; 

 he wished greatly to live and go back to his bone-heap, but 

 Bodvar held him so that he could not run away. . . . The 

 hirdmen threw first small bones across the floor to Bodvar and 

 Hott ; Bodvar pretended not to see this. Hott was so frightened 

 that he took neither food nor drink, expecting to be hit every 

 moment ; he said to Bodvar : ' My good Bokki, now a large 

 joint-bone is going to hit thee, and it is meant to harm us.' 

 Bodvar told him to be silent, and parried it with the hollow of 

 his hand ; he got hold of the joint-bone, with the leg attached, 



1 Pet name of Bodvar. 



